Teachers Guide Grades K-8

Women, Art, and Social Change: The Newcomb Pottery Enterprise is an exhibition that exam-ines many facets of the Newcomb Pottery Enterprise, which blossomed from an educational experiment at a women’s college into an industry that would provide work for women and champion women’s rights in the early 20th century.

The following pages provide more information on the exhibition to better prepare your class for its visit to the Newcomb Art Gallery. We hope you enjoy using these materials and find them beneficial to your teaching curriculum.

The materials in this packet can be adjusted for students in kindergarten through 8th Grade, and possibly beyond, depending on the levels and needs of your students.

We look forward to seeing your class at the exhibition!

Included in this packet:

t Before you visit the gallery: Helpful tips for being a good exhibition visitor

t During your visit: Ways to get thoughtful conversations started

t An introduction to the Arts & Crafts Movement in the United States

t The story of Newcomb Pottery

t Women of the Newcomb Pottery Enterprise

t After your visit and Recommended Readings

1Women Art and Social Change: The Newcomb Pottery Enterprise is organized by the Newcomb Art Gallery at Tulane University and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. The exhibition is supported by grants from the Henry Luce Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, Artworks, and the Newcomb College Institute.

Before You Visit: Helpful Tips for Good Exhibition Visitors

t Visitors should not touch anything because the art in the exhibition is fragile. The oils and acids in our skin can damage works of art.

t Be aware of your personal space to ensure that you are a safe distance from works of art.

t Do not wear a backpack; if you have a large bag or backpack, please leave it near our front desk.

t Running in the gallery is not allowed.

t Stay with your group at all times.

t There may be other visitors in the exhibition when you are there. Please be respectful of others by using quiet “indoor” voices.

t Turn off all cell phones prior to beginning a tour.

t Use pencil when taking notes or sketching in the gallery; ink is not allowed.

t Have fun! Visiting an art exhibition should be a very enjoyable experience. Allow enough time for looking at the art. Then, discuss what you see. There are no “right” answers when describing your experiences at the gallery!

2

During Your Visit: Thoughtful Ways to Get Conversations Started

Describe!What kinds of things do you see in this artwork? What else do you see?What words would you use to describe this object? How would you describe the lines in this artwork? The shapes? The colors? What does this ob-ject show?Look at this object for a moment. What observations can you make about it?How would you describe this artwork to a person who could not see it?

Analyze!What can you tell me about the colors used in this artwork?What color is used the most?What do you think is the most important part of this artwork?How do you think the artist made this work?What questions would you ask the artist about this work, if s/he were here?

Relate!What does this artwork remind you of?What things do you recognize about this object? What things seem new to you?How is this artwork like the one we just saw? What are some important differences?What do these two objects have in common?What interests you most about this work of art? Interpret!What title would you give to this object? What made you decide on that title?What other titles could we give it?What do you think this (object) was used for? How did you arrive at that idea? Evaluate!What do you think is good about this artwork? What is not so good?Why do you think other people should see this work of art?What do you think other people would say about this work? Why do you think that?What grade would you give the artist for this work? How did you arrive at that grade?What would you do with this work if you owned it?What do you think is worth remembering about this artwork?

3

Student Worksheet: Analyze It!

What do you see when you look at this work? How would you describe this artwork to a person who could not see it?

What do you think is the most important part of this artwork? What title would you give to this object?

Look at this pair of bookends. What do they remind you of? How are they like the vase pictured above? What are some differences in the two artworks?

4

An introduction to the Arts & Crafts Movement in the United States

The Arts and Crafts Movement in the United States, often referred to as the Craftsmen or Amer-ican Craftsmen style, became prevalent around 1910 and lasted until about 1930, but the move-ment was around long before that--it actually began decades earlier in Great Britain. Under the guidance of artist William Morris, artists in Great Britain began to embrace the traditional meth-ods of craftsmanship and simple forms that were often applied to older folk styles of decorative arts. Beginning around 1860, the movement quickly gained popularity throughout the rest of Europe and eventually made its way “across the pond” to the United States and Canada.

Different periods in art are often dictated by the artists’ reactions to events going on in the world at the time, and the Arts and Crafts Movement is a great example of this. What was going on in the world, and originated in Great Britain, in the late 1700s, lasting well into the 1800s? The Industrial Revolution! Factories and large-scale machines were changing the face of production, and almost every facet of life changed for people in some way. One way in which life changed was that people were now being introduced to mass-produced household goods, such as dinner-ware, glassware, and pots and pans, all at affordable prices. Although beneficial, in that people from all backgrounds in Great Britain now had the opportunity to own items such as these, the mass-production of these items by factories meant that the local craftsman was potentially out of work. Also, decorative arts were becoming increasingly ornate and artificial in style, and the quality of goods being produced was far below that of a similar object that would be created by hand. In a reaction to this, artists like William Morris became advocates for economic and social reform, and brought about a revival of handicrafts and an emphasis on the quality of materials being used to create objects. This would in turn influence architecture, painting, metalwork, and many other facets of design extending beyond the decorative arts.

In the United States, the social reform element of the Arts and Crafts style was not as prominent as in Europe. Although the first Arts and Crafts Society was established at Hull House in Chicago, a settlement house with innovative social, educational, and artistic programs, the emphasis in the United States was focused on the aesthetics of the movement, and less on political and social reform.

Perhaps because the Arts and Crafts Movement was centered on decorative arts, which are often associated with housewares, and not fine arts (such as painting, sculpture, and drawing), women were more readily accepted into Arts and Crafts groups, often forming their own exclusively-fe-male societies that produced handiwork of all types. Although women were not supposed to work outside the home at this time, by belonging to these organizations, they were often able to sell their creations in a way that was accepted by society. This phenomenon is similar to what took place at Newcomb College. At Newcomb, however, not only was this an economic enter-prise, but at its foundation, it was an educational endeavor.

For Review:

Where did the Arts and Crafts Movement begin?To what was the Arts and Crafts Movement a response?In what ways did artists turn from ideas of the Industrial Revolution?Where was the first arts and crafts society in the US?Why were women an important part of the Arts and Crafts Movement?

5

The story of the Newcomb Pottery began in a time and place of upheaval and revitaliza-tion, personal tragedy, and sweeping societal change. Thirty years after the Civil War, the American South still struggled to reinvent itself. American women, whose roles had been nar-rowly confined since long before the war, were beginning a long road toward suffrage and self-determination. In the decades to follow, the Newcomb Pottery enterprise would emerge as a quietly radical experiment—an unprec-edented opportunity for Southern women to

train as artists and support themselves financially. Working as a collective, the enterprise produced a rich body of work—not only world-renowned pottery, but also metalwork, textiles, bookbinding, and jewelry.

1890s: The Early Years

Emerging out of the British Arts and Crafts Movement, the pottery enterprise was founded by Newcomb College faculty members Ellsworth Woodward, a painter and draftsman, and Mary Sheerer, a ceramicist hired to teach china painting. Female graduates of the Newcomb Art Department were employed to design pottery and paint china, (and later execute original jewelry, needlework, metalwork, and book binding), the best pieces of which were sold as Newcomb Pottery. Early stu-dents experimented with a wide range of motifs and techniques. A key tenet of the Arts and Crafts movement was retaining a regional sensibility, so Southern flora and fauna were always the focus. Popular motifs included cross-sections of Southern plants,

and winged insects circling around a light. The pottery from this period was distin-guished by bright underglaze colors and transparent glazes, although there was also experimentation with other techniques, influenced by Delftware, as well as Chinese and Japanese motifs. By the turn of the century, Newcomb increasingly featured sage green and cobalt blue color schemes under clear lead glazes.

Did you know?

Each piece of Newcomb Pottery is unique. Not only did each piece depict a Southern motif, decorators were not allowed to dulpli-cate a design.

6

1930-1948: The Closing Chapters

In its final decade, Newcomb artists shifted away from naturalistic scenes, and moved toward a more modernist aesthetic. Though the familiar romantic subjects continued to sell well, artists also depict-ed highly abstracted scenes of the Gulf South region. A final phase, known as the “Newcomb Guild,” continued from 1940–1948. Pot-ters shifted from using detailed carved design to a more austere, mid-century Modernist approach that emphasized the vessel form and the qualities of the glaze itself. The legacy of Newcomb is the continuing spirit of self-actualization and artistic exploration that inspires artists to this day.

1914-1930: The Beginnings of Modernism

The Roaring Twenties saw an expansion of the world economy, growing freedoms for women, and new artistic styles. In 1925, influenced by her trip to Paris, Mary Sheerer advocated for the angular forms of the Art Deco

style, while founder Ellsworth Woodward remained committed to the older romantic aesthetic. Bestsellers at Newcomb continued to be the naturalistic images celebrating the Deep South, such as the tonal, hazy “moon and moss” motif invented by Sadie Irvine. Another motif, the Español, appeared in the mid-1920s, and was based on Ellsworth Woodward’s discovery of a Spanish colonial-era mantel in the French Quarter.

1900-1914: The Growth Years

With the new century came a new look for Newcomb Pottery, guided by the influential writings of American designer Arthur W. Dow. From his school in Ipswich, Massachusetts, where many Newcomb students traveled to study, Dow encouraged the study of tonal gradation and the use of distinct outlines and flat patterns. In 1900, Newcomb earned international acclaim with a bronze med-

al at Paris’ Exposition Universelle. This success brought in students from across the country, and the school expanded course offerings to include metalwork, textiles, and bookbinding. Designers modulated the popular blue and green tones, and produced a surprising range within a limited palette. Also during this time, ceram-icist Joseph Meyer experimented with reduction fired copper- red glazes that ranged from iridescent to brilliant red. In 1910, pottery decorating instructor Mary Sheerer and ceramicist Paul Cox successfully developed a new transparent matte glaze, which became the school’s standard.

Which style of decoration created at Newcomb most appeals to you? Why? 7

Student Worksheet: Draw It!

Decorate this vase using your favorite Newcomb Pottery motifs.

In a few sentences, describe your drawings.

8

Student Worksheet: Draw It!

The Newcomb decorators used flowers and animals that they could see growing and living in their Gulf South environment. Decorate this pitcher using flowers or animals that you see in your own city. Think about what kinds of plants grow in your yard to get started.

In a few sentences, describe your drawings.

9

Women of the Newcomb Pottery Enterprise

The women listed below are some of the better known artists associated with New-comb College, but this list is in no way the only artists who were part of the Newcomb Pottery Enterprise.

Mary Given Sheerer (1865-1954) (Teacher)

A founding member of the Newcomb Pottery Enterprise, Mary Given Sheerer was born in January 1865 in Covington, Kentucky. Sheerer’s father was a wholesale grocer, and she lived with her parents and two sisters in the Lower Garden District. Sheerer later studied at the Cincinnati School of Design and at the Art Students’ League in New York City. She began teaching at New-comb in 1894 and retired in 1931.

Above: Mary Given Sheerer shows her class a glaze at the kiln, date unknown.

Gertrude Roberts Smith (1868-1962) (Teacher)

Gertrude Roberts Smith was employed by Newcomb College in 1887, at the age of 19. She would teach at the Art School for for-ty-seven years without interruption. While at Newcomb, Roberts taught pottery decoration as well as fiber arts and drawing. Roberts retired from the College in 1934.

Mary Williams Butler (1873-1937) (Teacher)

Mary Williams Butler was born in New Orleans and began her career at Newcomb in 1898 as a Special Art student. She received her diploma in art and worked as a pottery decorator before her academic tenure in 1901. She achieved full professorship in 1934 and was the genesis of the metalwork program at the Newcomb Pottery.

10

Sarah A. E. Irvine (Sadie) (1885-1970) (Pottery Designer)

Sarah Agnes Estelle “Sadie” Irvine was born in New Orleans in 1885. Irvine began her studies as a freshman art student in 1902. She received a Diploma in Art in 1906, and studied as a graduate student for the next two years. From 1908 to 1929, Irvine was a pottery’s art craftsmen, and, from 1929 to 1952, she was a paid employee of the College. During her academic career, Irvine won numerous awards for her watercolors, block prints, and pottery decoration. She received travel and study scholarships to the Art Students League in New York (after 1906), Arthur W. Dow’s Ipswich summer school (1908), and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (1914). Irvine exhibited with national art associations and in international expositions, including at Jamestown, Virginia and San Francisco. After her retirement from Newcomb College in 1952, Irvine remained active in New Orleans’ art education, teaching ceramics at the Academy of the Sacred Heart until 1967.

Miriam Flora Levy (1895-1975) (Metalworker)

Miriam Flora Levy entered Newcomb College as a fresh-man in 1913. Graduating in 1916 with a Diploma in Art, she studied as a graduate art student from 1916 to 1918. Following her graduate work and up until 1940, Levy served as a Newcomb Pottery crafts-man, specializing in metalwork and jewelry. In 1938, she designed chalices for the Episcopalian Eucharistic Congress taking place in the city. In addition to her duties for the W.P.A., Levy did com-missions for Hausmann’s Jewelry Store, making an assortment of baubles, flatware, and accessories. She remained in this line of work until 1959.

11

Student Worksheet: Remember It!

Who started the school’s metalwork program?

In addition to pottery decoration, what did Gertrude Roberts Smith teach?

Where did Sadie Irvine teach besides Newcomb College?

When did Miriam Flora Levy leave Newcomb College to pursue other work?

What was one of the scholarships awarded to Sadie Irvine?

In what year did Mary Williams Butler begin teaching at Newcomb?

Which of the women above was one of the founders of the pottery enterprise?

Who was employed longest by Newcomb College as a teacher?

Where did Mary Given Sheerer study before teaching at Newcomb?

Math Time! For how many years was Sadie Irvine both a student and teacher at Newcomb Col-lege combined?

Where did Miriam Flora Levy work as a jewelry designer?

12

Student Worksheet: Remember It!ANSWERS

Who started the school’s metalwork program? Mary Williams Butler

In addition to pottery decoration, what did Gertrude Roberts Smith teach? Fiber arts and drawing

Where did Sadie Irvine teach besides Newcomb College? Academy of the Sacred Heart in New Orleans

When did Miriam Flora Levy leave Newcomb College to pursue other work? 1940

What was one of the scholarships awarded to Sadie Irvine? Arthur W. Dow’s Ipswich Summer School, Art Students League in New York, or Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts

In what year did Mary Williams Butler begin teaching at Newcomb? 1898

Which of the women above was one of the founders of the pottery enterprise? Mary Given Sheerer

Who was employed longest by Newcomb College as a teacher? Gertrude Roberts Smith

Where did Mary Given Sheerer study before teaching at Newcomb? Art Students League in NYC and Cincinnati School of Design

Math Time! For how many years was Sadie Irvine both a student and teacher at Newcomb Col-lege combined? 50 years!

Where did Miriam Flora Levy work as a jewelry designer? Hausmann’s Jewelry Store

13

After Your Visit

What aspect of the exhibition did you enjoy most about Women, Art, and Social Change: The Newcomb Pottery Enterprise?

Which motif did you like best?

If you could own a piece from the exhibition, which would you choose and why?

How was your experience in the gallery today different from other museums you have visited? If this is your first museum visit, how was your experience different from what you were expecting?

What was the most significant thing you learned about the Newcomb Pottery Enterprise?

Recommended Readings for different age groups

For Young Readers:The Magic of Clay by AdaluciaElizabeth Leads the Way: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the Right to Vote by Tanya Lee Stone

For Advanced Readers:The Awakening by Kate ChopinProfessional Pursuits: Women and the American Arts and Crafts Movement by Catherine ZipfNew Women of the New South: Leaders of the Women’s Suffrage Movement in the US by Marjorie Spruill Wheeler

14

Captions:

1. Lamp with ceramic base of “cat’s claw” design and pierced metal lampshade, 1902. Base: Esther Huger Elliott, decorator; Joseph Meyer, potter. Underglaze painting with glossy glaze. Newcomb Art Collection, Tulane University. Metal Lampshade: attr. to Elizabeth Goelet Rogers Palfrey. Hand-cut and embossed brass sheeting with copper rivets and screen. Newcomb Art Collection, Tulane University.

2. Plate with cactus design, c. 1903. Harriet Coulter Joor, decorator; Joseph Meyer, potter. Incised; underglaze with glossy glaze. Newcomb Art Collection, Tulane University; gift of Mrs. Arthur L. (Harriet) Jung, Jr., N ’40.

3. Mug with rabbits in a forest design, c. 1902. Amelie Roman, decorator; Joseph Meyer, potter. Underglaze painting with glossy glaze. Collection of Caren Fine.

4. Vase with stylized rain design, c. 1931. Sarah A.E. “Sadie” Irvine, decorator; Jonathan Browne Hunt, potter. Low-relief carving; underglaze with matte glaze. The Historic New Orleans Collection; Laura Simon Nelson Collection.

5. Cut-out and hand-wrought copper bookends with oculus and gothic arch design, c. 1920-23. May Asbury, artist. Collection of Don Fuson.

6. Vase with Louisiana iris design, c. 1908. Amelie Roman, decorator; Joseph Meyer, potter. Incised; underglaze with glossy glaze. Collection of Caren Fine.

7. Archival photograph, c. 1903. Newcomb decorators and Joseph Meyer in Pottery enterprise studio, Newcomb Pottery building, Washington Avenue campus. University photography album, University Archives, Tulane University.

8. Vase with daffodil design, 1897. Katherine Kopman, decorator; Joseph Meyer, potter. Underglaze painting with glossy glaze. On loan to Newcomb Art Gallery from Ruth Weinstein Lebovitz.

9. Vase with mosquito hawk/dragonfly design, c. 1903. Browning Coleman, decorator; Joseph Meyer, potter. Underglaze painting with glossy glaze. Collection of LSU Museum of Art, Baton Rouge; purchased with funds from the Mrs. Paula Garvey Manship Endowment.

10. Medal from the Exposition Universelle de 1900, Paris. J.C. Chaplain, artist. Cast bronze. Newcomb Art Collection, Tulane Universi-ty.

11. Two-handled jar with bull tongue arrowhead design, c. 1898. Esther Huger Elliott, decorator; Joseph Meyer, potter. Underglaze painting with glossy glaze. Newcomb Art Collection, Tulane University; purchased through the Mignon Faget Acquisition Fund.

12. Vase with moon and pine tree landscape design, c. 1919. Anna Frances Simpson, decorator; Joseph Meyer, potter. Low-relief carv-ing; underglaze with matte glaze. Newcomb Art Collection, Tulane University; gift of Clayton M. Perkins from the estate of Carolyn Doan King Perkins.

13. Vase of “Espanol” design, c. 1926. Anna Frances Simpson, decorator; Joseph Meyer, potter. Low-relief carving; underglaze with matte glaze. LSU Museum of Art; gift of Dr. A. Brooks Cronan, Jr., and Diana Cronan.

14. Vase of Grand Isle design, c. 1933. Sarah A.E. “Sadie” Irvine, decorator; Jonathan Browne Hunt, potter. Low-relief carving; under-glaze with matte glaze. Newcomb Art Collection, Tulane University.

15. Archival photograph, c. 1914-1915. Mary Sheerer teaching pottery class.University Archives, Tulane University.

16. Pitcher with pomegranate and leaf cross-section design, c. 1900-1905. Gertrude Roberts Smith, decorator; Joseph Meyer, potter. Underglaze painting with glossy glaze. Louisiana State University Museum of Art, Baton Rouge; gift of the Friends of the LSU Museum of Art.

17. Silver necklace with moonstone and pendant, c. 1929. Hand-wrought chain with cut-out “NBM” (Nellie Mae Bartlett) monogram. Attributed to Mary Williams Butler. Newcomb Art Collection, Tulane University; gift of Mrs. Harry B. “Jack” Kelleher.

18. Candlesticks with butterfly design, c. 1926. Sarah A.E. “Sadie” Irvine, decorator; Joseph Meyer, potter. Low-relief carving; under-glaze with matte glaze. Collection of Caren Fine.

19. Vase with stylized rain design, c. 1931. Sarah A.E. “Sadie” Irvine, decorator; Jonathan Browne Hunt, potter. Low-relief carving; underglaze with matte glaze. The Historic New Orleans Collection; Laura Simon Nelson Collection.

20. Vase with stylized dogwood design, c. 1933. Sarah A.E. “Sadie” Irvine, decorator; Kenneth Smith, potter. Low-relief carving; un-derglaze with satin glaze. Newcomb Art Collection, Tulane University.

21. Repoussé, hand-wrought, and appliquéd rose gold bracelet, c. 1926-28. Attr. to Miriam Flora Levy, artist. Collection of New Orle-ans Museum of Art; gift of Mrs. Julia Brown.

22. Detail of study of Egyptian ornamentation, dated 1893. Selina Elizabeth Bres, artist. Gouache and pencil on paper. Newcomb Art Collection, Tulane University.